Skills and job creation

National Apprenticeship Week is 6 to 10 February. Find out what the National Apprenticeship Service is planning.

Apprentices for Business can help small and medium businesses with the recruitment and employment of apprentices. It is an Apprenticeship Training Agency, and can act as the legal employer, and place the apprentice with a suitable host company. The agency takes on the administrative costs and legal obligations of employing the apprentice.

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is responsible for the delivery of Apprenticeships including advising employers, providing funding for Apprenticeship training and a web based Apprenticeship vacancies system. The Apprenticeship programme enables young people and adults to work with an employer while developing their occupational competence. It offers employers a means by which they can improve the skills of their workforce. The programme is available to learners of all ages, and funding is split between 16-18, 19-24 and 25+ age groups. Currently, three quarters of all starts complete their programme and 40% of all starts are in the 16-18 category. NAS are looking to grow the number of adult Apprenticeships. The most popular sectors are Customer Service, Business Administration and Hospitality and Catering. The NAS is on target to achieve 50,000 Apprenticeships this year.

There is a link below to information about apprenticeships.

Skills audit

East Hampshire District Council, Alton College and Hampshire County Council commissioned a skills and employment study which was completed in June 2010.

The purpose was to assess current and future needs and create a skills and employability action plan for the area. It involved:

• drawing together and analysing a wide range of data to provide an accurate baseline audit of the area’s key characteristics. The audit also assessed where the District stands in comparison with County, regional and national data 
• a wide ranging consultation programme with relevant organisations to test the baseline audit and examine opportunities for future action 
• a workshop for key organisations providing an opportunity for collective discussion of the issues facing the area and the testing of emerging proposals that could be incorporated in the employment and skills action plan 
• analysing the findings from the work programme, producing a study report and action plan setting out recommendations for partner organisations.

The study took place between January and May 2010. 

The final report and supporting information can be downloaded below.

• East Hampshire employment and skills audit and action plan 2010 (690 Kb)
• Annexes to East Hampshire employment and skills audit and action plan 2010 (214 Kb)

 See our Support Page for links to various pages of useful information on skills and employability.

 Information about Apprenticeships